Beaufort...Wow!

Last Friday, my momma and I ventured to Beaufort County for the district’s Teacher of the Year breakfast. First of all, I had never been to Beaufort, but thanks to Pat Conroy, as we passed the signs for various places, I felt like I knew them all. The area was absolutely gorgeous, and so the trip would have been a treat all in its own purely considering the aesthetic value of our surroundings, but we got to enjoy so much more than pretty scenery.

Beaufort County exceeds expectations when it comes to celebrating their teachers. At this Teacher of the Year breakfast, all of the School Teachers of the Year were honored. And it was obvious to me that the district administration really understands the role of the District Teacher of the Year in establishing a district forum and taking on some additional leadership throughout the year.

Christine Gray, Beaufort's 2012 Teacher of the Year

The breakfast was held at the Callawassie Island Country Club, and had we not needed to get back, I would have loved to spend the day exploring this gorgeous area. It was so very beautiful. As part of the morning entertainment, two music groups from the schools were there. I listened as a high school strings group played with amazing talent and skill; they sounded like professionals! Another high school’s chorus came to sing two songs, and they were absolutely amazing. By the end of their second song, I was in tears! I love seeing student groups perform and a district taking pride in what their students can do.

I was able to sit with one of the finalists for District Teacher of the Year, Jennifer Weitekamper. It was obvious from our conversation that she is a phenomenal teacher who is passionate about what she does in her classroom. Her husband attended the breakfast with her and was so proud of her accomplishments. It’s nice to make new teaching friends all over the state.

Jennifer Weitekamper

After a delicious breakfast and some words of inspiration from various people, Erin Reichert of Bluffton High School was named as the new Beaufort County District Teacher of the Year and given the keys to a 2013 BMW to sport for the year, courtesy of Hilton Head BMW. Erin teaches AP U.S. History, Sociology, Youth in Government, Economics, and U.S. Government, and she is an educator who takes her role beyond the four walls of her classroom. She is a teacher leader who goes above and beyond expectations, and I look forward to getting to know her through our forum events this year!

Beaufort's Teachers of the Year, and 2013 District Teacher of the Year, Erin Reichert, front and center!

Congratulations to all the Beaufort County Teachers of the Year, and thank you for what you do for children.

The Trip I Learned My Name Badge Will Set Off A Metal Detector...

When I teach Advanced Composition, my students and I read Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom. The book is phenomenal, and if you haven’t read it, you should. Near the end, the author poses the question, “Have you ever really had a teacher? One who saw you as a raw but precious thing, a jewel that, with wisdom, could be polished to a proud shine? If you are lucky enough to find your way to such teachers, you will always find your way back.” On Thursday of last week, I found my way back to Kay Sellers, my eleventh and twelfth grade English teacher, Yearbook Momma, and one of my most influential teachers. If you’re reading this and you’ve had my classes, you can thank Mrs. Sellers for the way I teach or grumble and complain at her if you didn't like me. I am a product of her instruction. For better or worse, I am a “Sellers child.”

Mrs. Sellers taught me at Lake City High School, and I think I spent more hours in her classroom while I was in high school than I did at my home. She was a lot of things to me back then: a dose of reality when I needed it, a cheerleader when I did well, and a role model for what a good teacher was. I will always remember her as an advocate for her students.

Do you know why there's an anchor in front of CHS? I don't, but it made for a good picture!

She is now a teacher and instructional coach at Conway High School, and she is still as amazing a teacher as I knew she was when I was 16. Of course, she now teaches at a school with stairs, its own security guard and metal detectors, and three separate lunches, but none of that has changed anything about her or her teaching. While at Conway, I didn’t just hang out with Kay all day, though that would have been fun, too. I got to meet some amazing Teacher Cadets and their instructor, Mrs. Shelby Wiley. They haven’t all liked my Facebook page yet, and I’m holding that against them a little bit, but they were still some top-notch kids. They volunteered to read my picture book for me to save me from my completely rational fear of reading and showing the pictures, and we trekked to the parking lot for them to take some pictures with my car…or really, it’s BMW’s car, though the kids I met today are planning to write some powerful letters to change that!

I met a lot of neat people at CHS. I watched Holly Barnes and her AP Language kids kick absolute butt in a Socratic seminar, and I was amazed at how easy they made it look. Somehow, Angie Calhoun got me interested in a discussion of government, and then I sat amazed as Josh Cutright taught his heart out about some Civil War battles and made kids laugh and “get it” at the same time. They truly have some great teachers.

If you know me in real life though, you know that I have a passion for kids who the system labels “at-risk,” those ones who are the underdogs, those who have to fight just a little bit harder for every single thing they get. I love my students, but I really get excited when those kids who have been told they will never do anything are able to succeed. And so one of my most favorite parts of my trip to Conway High School was meeting Sabrina Gibbs, the director of their AVID program. I had never heard of AVID, and in case you’re in the same boat, it stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination, and it is a college readiness system. The high school English teacher who began it (English teachers have great ideas, don’t they?) says, “It’s more than a program—it’s a philosophy: Hold students accountable to the highest standards, provide academic and social support, and they will rise to the challenge.” From what I heard and saw during my day at Conway, it helps these students realize they are all success stories just waiting to be written. Because of the support they receive from AVID, they CHOOSE to take rigorous courses, they gain confidence, and college becomes a real feasible option for them. And so now I don’t understand why more high schools in South Carolina don’t incorporate this?

I left Conway High School rejuvenated by being in the presence of students, and I left knowing that we get so much right in public education in South Carolina. If you ever doubt it, I’m sure they’ll let you come visit, too, but remember to be nice to the security guard and take all the metal out your pockets.

CSU, I'll Be Back!

I have done a lot of fun things this week, and I’m of the opinion that they probably each need their own blog entry in order for you to fully understand just how much I enjoyed them all. Don’t worry…I’ll publish them over the next few days so we can try to avoid blog overload.

When I was younger, my family and I went to tour Charleston Southern University. My sister was a junior and was contemplating it as a college choice. I remember our family talking for weeks about how nice everyone was at CSU. I returned there this week to speak to the CSU Teaching Fellows and Future Teachers’ Society, and I was treated with the same hospitality and kindness that I remembered from when I was in middle school traipsing behind my sister and secretly praying she wouldn’t go so far away to college.

Going to talk to the students of CSU was super-special for me to begin with because one of my own students, Austin, is a freshman and a Teaching Fellow there. It was great to be able to see him and hear that he’s doing well in school. And it was nice to be able to relay that information to his momma.

The students and faculty of the Education Department welcomed me and made me feel like I was a part of them. When I spoke, many of them hung on my every word, nodding along with me and grinning. And afterwards, for only the second time in this journey, I felt like a celebrity. I took pictures with students and got to talk to them even more about their goals and my teaching. It was an incredible experience. I enjoyed my time at CSU so very much that I plan to return very soon to see them all again! I am especially thankful to their Teaching Fellows director, Marsha Humphreys, for inviting me to come be a part of their meeting. I was so very impressed with the quality of students at CSU and know they will make some great teachers!

Of course, no trip to Charleston would be complete without going to Cousin Emily’s house to get some play time with Baby Liza. And imagine how excited I was to get to snuggle with two babies instead of one!

School BFFs

All through my college education classes, I remember professors telling us that when we got our first real jobs that we needed to befriend three groups of people: the secretaries, the custodians, and the cafeteria staff. I wholeheartedly agree with that advice, and I followed it. The secretaries have pulled me out of binds more than I care to admit. The custodians have waited until the last possible moment to clean my room during the summer in order to let me get things done. The cafeteria staff calls me when they’ve burned some school pizza because they know it’s my absolute favorite. In the past five years, I’ve found that my college professors left out another very key person to befriend: the media specialist. In our media specialist at Johnsonville High School, I found my school BFF, and after reading Wren Middle School’s Media Specialist’s blog, (Hi, Kristen, I know you in real life!) I realized that the media specialist is very much a secret weapon in any school…or rather they should be.

What’s the job of a media specialist? In some people’s eyes, they check out books all day long. I can say from firsthand observation that they do check out books…all day long IF they support students in their reading. If not, they really might not have to do much of this at all. If this was where a media specialist’s job ended, you could sign me up today, but I have been to the depths of the media center, and I know what all happens there. Did you know that in most schools the media specialist becomes the Miss or Mr. Fix-It for all things technology? A light bulb in a projector goes out, send it to the library. You think your computer has a virus, send a student to get the media specialist. You can’t make your printer print? You can bet the media specialist can.

Again, if this were all that fell into a job description of a media specialist, it might not be all that time-consuming, but this is barely the beginning. In addition to that, media specialists teach lessons. They teach about research, digital literacy, video software, presentations, and more. They teach students about reading and how to find a book and how to put it back in the proper place. Then they inventory and replace the books the students put in the wrong places. Media specialists laminate things and update webpages and air the morning announcements. They constantly read to stay up to date on what kids want to read, and they talk to kids (lots of kids) every single day. Media specialists know the names of every single student in the school because they teach them all. They work with teachers to schedule library time, and they don’t always get to eat lunch. Our media specialist at JHS never stops. She’s checking out books, fixing technology crises, answering phone calls, playing Channel One, recommending books to students because she cares enough to know what they like, and making sure the library runs like a well-oiled machine. She is a busy, busy woman.

A phenomenal teacher on the left, a super media specialist on the right

Media specialists are super heroes; there’s no doubt in my mind. I am so thankful that Johnsonville has Wendy Calcutt who works her magic every day to get students reading and computers computing and keeps the high school world running. Make sure you thank yours for the work he or she does…where would your school or your students be without it?

"See Ya Next Time, Saluda!"

I don’t think it’s any secret at all that I believe that education is something we should celebrate daily. My parents raised me to believe that education was one of the most important things in life, following Jesus and minding my manners, and I have always placed teachers on a real shiny pedestal. I love to see teachers (and the great work they do) being celebrated, and so I was absolutely honored to attend the Teacher of the Year banquet in Saluda County this past week.

I was not aware of just how far away Saluda is from Lake City, but it made for a nice little trek! My momma went with me, and it was nice to have some “me and her” time to catch up and sing and just be quiet together. In case you haven’t realized, I love my momma.

Reaching Saluda was interesting. After going through busy Columbia and Lexington, it was like a little piece of peaceful paradise just sprang up on Highway 378. The banquet was held at the Saluda County Educational Complex which is super nice, and it was to honor the district’s school Teachers of the Year and the retirees who retired at the end of the previous school. I thought that was a great idea. In one ceremony, they were able to honor those teachers recognized for excelling each day at what they do and those faculty and staff members who have given their all to education and South Carolina students. It made it very special, for sure.

I was able to spend some time that evening talking with Saluda Superintendent, Dr. David Mathis, and from my time talking with him, I can tell you two very important things about him. #1- He is proud of the schools, teachers, and students of Saluda County. #2- He is passionate about providing the best possible education for children in Saluda. After I realized that, I didn’t care what football team he pulled for or who his favorite author was…I was a fan of his! I know his faculty and staff appreciate his leadership! On his welcome on the district’s webpage, he has the following quote from Confucious, “ If your plan is for one year, plant rice. If your plan is for ten years, plant trees. If your plan is for one hundred years, educate children.” You could tell that this wasn’t just a nice saying, but that in Saluda, they live that philosophy. And two other things...everyone in Saluda is nice, or at least they were to me. Shealy's catered this event. I might try to get a ticket every year!

I was able to be present through the ceremony where the Teachers of the Year from the Saluda schools were introduced, and I can also tell you that this district has amazing teachers, teachers who love students and are passionate about educating them. They had amazing stories, and several of them were graduates of the district who had returned to teach there. I always think that is an amazing testament to the greatness of a district/school.

At the end of the evening, Mr. Paul Johnson from Saluda High School was named District Teacher of the Year! Congratulations, Paul! We look forward to seeing you at your regional teacher forum meeting!

Book Recommendation: Wonder by R.J. Palacio

Have you ever read a book and immediately wanted to share it with every person you knew? That has only happened to me a few times. I mean, I read a lot of great books, but I rarely read one that I think everyone should read. Most recently, I found this type of book in Wonder by R.J. Palacio. This book was recommended way back in March or April, but I put off reading it until this summer. Wonder is a game-changer, and I mean that in the best possible way. It has made me reconsider things I say to others and has caused me to really think about how judgmental I can be. I assure you, this book has a lesson it for everyone, and right now it's only $10.87 at Amazon for a hardcover copy. You probably want a copy to own and a copy to give away.

If you’re at all like me, you’re wondering what this book is even about. I rarely read a book on title or cover alone, but a few good Amazon reviews or a recommendation by someone I consider a reliable source draws me in like nothing else. Wonder is multi-faceted in that the story belongs to several people. Primarily, it focuses on August Pullman, a 10-year-old who was born with a severe facial deformity that author, R.J. Palacio modeled after Treacher-Collins syndrome, though this is never stated as Auggie’s syndrome. The story follows Auggie through his first year of attending school, but it also shares the stories of those who befriend him and his older sister who has always been his protector.

For me, Wonder served as a reminder. It was a reminder to me of what people might be going through when I really have no idea. It reminded me to think about how my actions or lack of actions can affect others. And it was a reminder that goodness is still at work in the world. Wonder is a work of fiction, but it’s a story of great truth. It is the story of every child who has ever been bullied for things beyond his or her control, and it is the story of those who look past imperfections and see to the very soul of an individual.

The message of Wonder is an important one. I think it’s relatable to almost any grade level…from a read-aloud in early elementary classrooms to a book club book for retired adults. It does an excellent job of reminding us that we are all only as good as our soul, and that appearances don’t (or rather, shouldn’t) matter.

I’m not the only one who thought this book was well-worth a read, so if you don’t believe me, here are some comments from others who have read the book…

And if you're on my Christmas list, chances are, you're getting this book, so please act surprised!

FMU: Going Home Highlight

When I was making the decision of where I would attend college, I initially wanted to go as far away as possible. For some reason, I was under the impression that was the only way to get the “full college experience.” I think a lot of high school juniors and seniors think that; they believe that if they attend school close to home, they are “less than.” We’ve got to change that perception. I fell prey to it, and after looking into schools all over the place, I really had my heart set on Converse because my English teacher from high school had gone there. I don’t know if y’all are aware, but the distance between my parents’ house and Converse College is roughly 200 miles. Once I admitted to myself that being that far away from my family wasn’t really an option for me (I’m a bit attached to my momma), Francis Marion University seemed like the perfect spot for me. And I can promise you there are few prettier places in the fall than FMU’s campus.

FMU was a good fit for many reasons, but the most important at the time was that it was approximately 22 minutes from my home. With that said, I did live on campus, but I also came home every Sunday for church and for laundry assistance. I still regard FMU as one of the happiest places in the world. I made a ton of great memories there and had so many great opportunities. I am still so thankful that FMU exists in the Pee Dee. It is a great university that is growing at a phenomenal rate, but it is small enough that it can always feel like home.

Because I am still so enamored with FMU, I was absolutely honored when one of the English professors asked me to speak at First Tuesday (a monthly event where English Education majors gather for various reasons). There is just something unexplainably special about “going home.” This was also very sentimental for me because some professors who have played a huge role in me becoming the teacher I am attended the talk, and their support over the years has had such an impact on me. Additionally, six of my own former students showed up to support me at this talk for English Ed majors, and they aren’t majoring in English Education. And really, my students have also helped me become this teacher I am, so it was great to have them there, too.

The truth of the matter is that teaching isn’t a journey we embark on independently. We owe thanks to lots of people who help us get where we are: the great teachers we had, the naysayers who saw no value in our profession, our colleagues who push us when we need it, and our students who walk this walk with us day in and day out. I think that it sometimes becomes easy to forget all the people who got us here and still stand strongly with us today. FMU provided the best foundation for me in my journey, and I am so glad I was able to give just a little something back.

Dr. Ramsey...one of the greatest men I've ever known, and I never would have met him if I'd gone to Converse.